Category Archives: Outlook

L.A. Life, Outlook

Empowerment through Kickboxing

By Layla Zomorod

I hate exercising. It’s hard. It’s boring. But most of all, it’s HARD! I’ve spent most of my life silently brooding over the existence of strenuous physical exertion, that is until I discovered kickboxing. Now, dressed in workout pants and sneakers, I welcome the profound challenge of accepting cardio in my life and  I hope my discovery may lead you to give cardio kickboxing a try as well.

In high school, I used to force myself to run around the school track. These bursts of torture had their own soundtrack, a string of curses targeting the fat that was intent on staying glued to my tummy, my thighs, my everything. With running, cardio fitness was a constant battle that always left me out of breath and eager to just get through it. I felt inadequate and out of shape. The thought of giving up was always a relief and at the forefront of my mind. Results were stagnant and my affinity for exercise endorphins dwindled. It took me a while to realize that running did not have to be the solution; that there might be some other kind of fitness regime that could be a better personal fit. That’s when cardio kickboxing came to the rescue!

I began about 6 months ago. I was intimidated at first; surveying all those athletic people, huffing and puffing ready to knock someone down, I felt pretty small. However, once I put on my gloves, I gained a sense of intention and I looked forward to being one of those huffing and puffing athletic people. Once I started, I discovered all sorts of reasons why kickboxing was better suited for me than running. The punching combinations had much more variety than I expected, the studio and head trainer were more welcoming than anticipated, and the clean space and charismatic trainer made me enjoy the class even more. I especially loved how the upbeat music got you ready to throw some punches and throw down some trouble. My gym buddy and I spend an equal time performing combinations and mixing in dance moves when the trainer turns his back. When class is over, I finish energized, instead of hating life as I did with running.

Continue reading Empowerment through Kickboxing →

Outlook

An Unexpected Lesson

By Meghna Sathiapalan

Growing up in Saudi Arabia, an experience of  immeasurable impact, has decidedly influenced the person I am today.  Having lived there for thirteen years, I have faced a lot and grown immune to some truths; particularly, the seemingly harsh customs and the repression women are forced to suffer. During the former part of my childhood, I hadn’t recognized the wrong in it; I studied in an American school, a bubble that the ultra-conservative Islamic influences left untouched. Inside school, I grew up as an average American teenager; I could wear whatever I wanted, express my views freely and never had to worry about any form of subjugation. However, any activity that required me to leave the school grounds and go into public meant donning the mandatory black graduation cloak-like piece of apparel known as the abaya, as well as an optional head-covering. I might add that the Saudi heat is quite intense, and wearing this garment really increases bodily discomfort. Just imagine having every drop of sweat stick awkwardly to your skin.

Soon enough, I grew sick of wearing the abaya, even for short trips to nearby grocery stores. Eventually, I got even more annoyed at how non-Muslim women were also forced to adhere to this custom, even though they didn’t even believe in the tradition.  Until about fifteen, I tolerated this, but around 16, that rebellious teenage spirit started to kick in.  I started to leave my abaya more open and let my headscarf slip back when I went out in the public world. It earned disapproval, even from my own parents, who just wanted to avoid trouble.  But I had had enough.  When most women in other parts of the world had the freedom to do as they pleased, why shouldn’t Saudi women have the same? Why do they deserve less? Also, the fact that Saudi women aren’t allowed to drive and hold jobs in the government amplified my anger. It was injustice.

“Women are just as capable as men,” I voiced to one of my conservative Muslim friends, “Why are they seen as inferior? Why do they even bother wearing hijabs (head covers)?” I couldn’t comprehend why this particular friend bothered wearing the hijab either and voiced my disapproval. Continue reading An Unexpected Lesson →

Outlook, USC

The Selfish Learner

By Dominique Murdock 

So there you are in class… the lecture has started, pens and pencils are diligently scribbling all around you, heads nod up and down in agreement with the lecture, and everyone seems to be in sync… except you. There you sit, worried, confused, and nervous because you feel like the bus left without you. At this point, you may look something like this…

Photo by Lucélia Ribeiro on Flickr

You begin to panic. You can literally feel your heart beating in your throat. You know that if you could just ask one well-worded question, you would have a better understanding of the lesson. You think about raising your hand, but the idea of interrupting the flow of class for your “stupid question” seems annoying and counterproductive to the learning environment. You feel stuck and frustrated… what do you do?

Photo from clipart-library.com

First… you TAKE A BREATH. That’s right… step one to becoming a selfish (and in turn, more informed learner) is pausing your brain and taking a relaxing, clarifying breath. Kind of like this guy here…

See how his nostrils flare with confidence as he prepares himself to take on the world? Or rather the class? Yep, a deep breath can calm the receptors in your brain and allow you to achieve the clarity you need to focus.

The next step is to recognize your power. Yep, crazy thought but here, in our educational system, students have this beautiful thing called power, or more specifically, the ability to focus the class into the direction that best fits the needs of the students. As a learner, your main goal is to do just that… LEARN. As a paying college student, your #1 right is to attain information using the means that work best for your style of learning. What does this mean? It means that you have the absolute right to ASK QUESTIONS. No matter how big or small they may seem, questions are how we clarify understanding so that we can then move on to the next bit of consumed information. There is absolutely no way to learn without questioning, so you are encouraged and expected to do so. 🙂

Continue reading The Selfish Learner →